Chapter: Killing Snakes Etc.

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded the killing of a snake having stripes over it, for it affects eyesight and miscarries pregnancy.

The short-tailed snake and the snake having stripes over it should be killed.

Kill the snakes having stripes over them and short-tailed snakes , for these two types cause miscarriage (of a pregnant woman) and they affect the eyesight adversely. So Ibn 'Umar used to kill every snake that he found. Abu Lubaba b. 'Abd al-Mundhir and Zaid b. Khattab saw him pursuing a snake , whereupon he said : They were forbidden (to kill) those snakes who live in houses.

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanding the killing of dogs and the killing of the striped and the short-tailed snakes , for both of them affect the eyesight adversely and cause miscarriage. Zuhri said : We thought of their poison (the pernicious effects of these two). Allah , however , knows best. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar said : I did not spare any snake. I rather killed everyone that I saw. One day as I was pursuing a snake from amongst the snakes of the house , Zaid b. Khattab or Abu Lubaba happened to pass by me and found me pursuing it. He said : 'Abdullah , wait. I said : Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded (us) to kill them , whereupon he said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the killing of the snakes of the houses. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

Find it out and kill it. Abu Lubaba said: Don't kill them, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the killing of the snakes found in houses.

Nafi' reported that Ibn 'Urnar used to kill all types of snakes until Abu Lubaba b. 'Abd al-Mundhir Badri reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had forbidden the killing of the snakes of the houses, and so he abstained from it.

Nafi' reported that he heard Abu Lubaba informing Ibn 'Umar that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had forbidden the killing of domestic snakes.

'Abdullah reported that Abu Lubaba had informed him that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had forbidden the killing of the snakes found in the house.

They had been forbidden to make an attempt to kill house snakes and they had been commanded to kill the snakes having small tails, small snakes and those having streaks over them, and it was said: Both of them affect the eyes and cause miscarriage to women.

Pursue this snake and kill it. Abu Lubaba Ansari said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He forbade the killing of snakes found in the houses except the short-tailed snakes and those having streaks upon them, for both of them obliterate eyesight and affect that which is in the wombs of (pregnant) women.

Nafi' reported that Abu Lubaba happened to pass by Ibn 'Umar who lived in the fortified place near the house of 'Umar b. Khattab and was busy in keeping his eyes upon a snake and killing it, the rest of the hadith is the same.

We were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in a cave when there was revealed to him (the Sura al-Mursalat, i. e. Sura lxxvii.:" By those sent forth to spread goodness" ) and we had just heard (it) from his lips that there appeared before us a snake. He said: Kill it. We hastened to kill it, but it slipped away from us, thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Allah saved it from your harm just as he saved you from its evil.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of al-A'mash with the same chain of transmitters.

'Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded a Muhrim (one who is in the state of pilgrimage) to kill the snake at Mina.

While we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the cave, the rest of the hadith is the same as the one narrated above.

I found him saying his prayer, so I sat down waiting for him to finish his prayer when I heard a stir in the bundles (of wood) lying in a comer of the house. I looked towards it and found a snake. I jumped up in order to kill it, but he (Abu Sa'id Khudri) made a gesture that I should sit down. So I sat down and as he finished (the prayer) he pointed to a room in the house and said: Do you see this room? I said: Yes. He said: There was a young man amongst us who had been newly wedded. We went with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (to participate in the Battle) of Trench when a young man in the midday used to seek permission from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to return to his family. One day he sought permission from him and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (after granting him the permission) said to him: Carry your weapons with you for I fear the tribe of Quraiza (may harm you). The man carried the weapons and then came back and found his wife standing between the two doors. He bent towards her smitten by jealousy and made a dash towards her with a spear in order to stab her. She said: Keep your spear away and enter the house until you see that which has made me come out. He entered and found a big snake coiled on the bedding. He darted with the spear and pierced it and then went out having fixed it in the house, but the snake quivered and attacked him and no one knew which of them died first, the snake or the young man. We came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and made a mention to him and said: Supplicate to Allah that that (man) may be brought back to life. Thereupon he said: Ask forgiveness for your companion and then said: There are in Medina jinns who have accepted Islam, so when you see any one of them, pronounce a warning to it for three days, and if they appear before you after that, then kill it for that is a devil.

We visited Abu Sa'id Khudri. When we had been sitting (with him) we heard a stir under his bed. When we looked we found a big snake, the rest of the hadith is the same. And in this Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is reported to have said: Verily in these houses there live aged (snakes), so when you see one of them, make life hard for it for three days, and if it goes away (well and good), otherwise kill it for (in that case) it would be a nonbeliever. And he (the Holy Prophet) said (to his Companions): Go and bury your companion (who had died by the snake bite).

There is a group of jinns in Medina who accepted Islam, so he who would see anything from these occupants should warn him three times; and if he appears after that, he should kill him for he is a satan.